A Sinking World
by Summer Leigh Wind
Summary: It wouldn't be until he escaped with a couple of accomplices that the people of the Being Division would realize their mistake and it wouldn't be until little Remus Lupin was nearly murdered in his bed by a vengeful werewolf that they would realize how wrong they were not to trust Lyall's judgment. By that time, Lyall would be regretting he said anything at all. One-Shot.


**_A World Sinking_**

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Lyall Lupin whistled the jaunty tune he'd heard on his wife's muggle-radio that morning as he took the steps up to the floor for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures; taking that ritualistic right turn past the men's restroom and into the office dedicated to the Beings Division. Bouncing the books he held in his grasp that morning along with the day's paper, he waved to Joel when he looked up to drink from the mug on his desk.

"Morning!" He greeted with a grin as he fell into his own desk just past the other man's.

The older wizard nodded to him. "How's the kid and wife?" He implored politely as he re-adjusted his stack for the day and his type-writer.

"Hope's well-still badgering for another little terror-and Remus..." he smiled, the giddiness hard to hide. "He got dressed all by himself today! Even put on his own socks and did up his coverall clasps!"

Old Joel chuckled. "Just you wait kid, he'll be his own man the next time you blink!"

Lyall laughed along; eyes skittering to the several framed photos his co-worker's desk held. The man had two sons himself, even a grandchild as of last year. "Has Quinn come in yet? I have something for him, it seems there's a little dispute going on between some of the goblins at Gringotts..."

Sighing as he settles more comfortably in his old seat, the older man shook his head. "No," he grumbled, "You know how that guy is-late."

The brunette smirked a little. "True," he agreed, "But he's always maked up for it."

The wrinkles on his co-worker's face fade for a moment as he nods. "No one does speak Gobbledegook with the same proficiency," He relented.

"Lupin! Gagarin! We could use your help over here!" Ferrous Porter called waving them over from where he stood by the door that lead into the Werewolf Support Office. With him, was his assistant, Yvon Hunter and a straggly looking man that put Lyall on edge without even trying.

"Sure, we'll be right over," Joel answered for them as the younger man sat there gazing at this unknown man (who looked back at him, his eyes blue then oddly molten in color before cooling to its original ice again).

"C'mon kid," his co-worker urged, tapping him on the calf with his cane as he hobbled toward the office's door.

Up in a instant, the younger has to calm his thudding heart as he trails after a soft mutter leaving him, "Right..."

Coming into the office, Ferrous brought them to the corner of the room behind the dividers where his desk lay. Gesturing for them all to take a chair from the rag-tag bunch gathered, the balding man began to speak;

"Here is a copy of the report, I am asking you to take part in an informal questioning of Fenrir Greyback on the deaths of two muggle youths on behalf of the Ministry."

Eyes darting over the report, Lyall felt his hackles rise as he took in the information of two boys found dead-shredded to bits-near a forest where they had been playing near with other children almost a month prior on a full moon. It was thought that a pack of werewolves had been in the area at the time of the children's deaths and Greyback-Greyback had been found not too far from the boys's bodies the next morning. It seemed, though, it had taken this long for the Aurors to decide to bring the man in for a formal questioning.

Looking up, he had to suppress a shudder at the cool glare he got from the man in question.

"Does everyone understand why we are here today?" Ferrous demanded after a short while.

Shifting uncomfortably, the brunette questioned, "We do...but if your suspicions are that he's-" eyes flickering to the scraggly man, "a werewolf, why do we need to be here for questioning?"

"He insists he's a muggle tramp," the balding man replied dully.

"I am," Fenrir quickly concurred, lips curling back to show off yellowing teeth, "Never thought werewolves were real until today! Let me tell you, I'm goin' to be more careful from now on."

Studying him carefully, Lyall said "I don't believe you."

Pretty Yvon popped up from her seat with pursed lips. "Why ever not? He's not in the records-nor are there any pictures of a werewolf that remotely resembles him."

Crossing his arms as he gazed at the now snarling man (his eyebrows, they're joined, his nails, they curve and are crusted with things he doesn't want to think about) "Who's in charge of keeping track of all of the werewolves and documenting new ones?"

Ferrous's eyes were wide. "Todd-"

"He's been gone almost a year and a half Porter!" Lyall snapped, "Why haven't you hired anyone new?!"

The balding man's up on his feet, face reddening quickly. "You know we're low on funding-and short staffed! If people didn't give the damn goblins so much lee-way we wouldn't need to be negotiating every goddamn thing with them!" He argued angrily.

This upsets the younger man greatly. "Be reasonable Porter! The goblins practically run our economy!" He gestured to the quietly growling Fenrir, "Werewolves!" He started, "Are menaces to society! They are soulless, evil, and deserve nothing but death!" He roared, slapping the report handed to him on his co-worker's desk, he continued "Look what those _beast _did to these poor boys!" Hands waving frantically, he went on to declare "It's almost the full moon now! If we want to make sure he isn't the monster that killed those _children_ just detain him until after the moon!"

Ferrous shook his head. "Get outta here Lupin," he told him. "You're just being a jumpy newbie," he chuckled softly-gaining a a few chortles from the people around them.

Face flaming from embarrassment, fury and disbelief Lyall left the man's make-shift office not even noticing the way Fenrir Greyback's cold stare followed him out.

Falling back behind his desk, Porter turned back to the unfortunate tramp. "Sorry about him," he said to the man, "He tends to get excited."

Letting his lips curl back into something more a sneer than smile, the werewolf nodded. "It's fine-been called worse."

Yvon stood up next, "Mr. Greyback, if you'd come with me..."

"Sure," he agreed following her out.

It wouldn't be until he escaped with a couple of accomplices that the people of the Being Division would realize their mistake and it wouldn't be until little Remus Lupin was nearly murdered in his bed by a vengeful werewolf that they would realize how wrong they were not to trust Lyall's judgment.

By that time, Lyall would be regretting he said anything at all.

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**So, I took a couple liberties with how things actually went down at the ministry-but, not too many I'd say. If you want the exact story as to why Remus became a werewolf, check out Lyall Lupin's (Remus's dad) profile.**

**This connects into my fic _We can Begin the World all Over Again, _but it can stand alone easily enough as well.  
**

**This was suggested by KodeV, so I hope you liked it :)**

**Thanks for reading, please review!**


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